Hope Beyond Despair: Finding Truth After A Loved One’s SuicideSample

Our loved ones commit suicide for some of the same reasons as people in Bible times (vengeance on enemies, to escape consequences and suffering, fear, anxiety, guilt, and more). No matter the circumstance or method of a loved one’s suicide, the pain and suffering experienced by those left behind can be immense. Shock. Anger. Unanswered questions. Confusion. Shame. Guilt. The list goes on. Grieving a suicide is a unique sorrow.

I have experienced five suicides in my family. I was only 13 when my mother asphyxiated herself. Her husband had shot himself six weeks earlier. That was just the beginning. When I was 22, my step-brother asphyxiated himself. When I was 33, my bother overdosed. Just seven months after that, my 14 year-old cousin hung herself.

The aftermath of suicide must be fought with God’s sword of the Spirit, His word (Ephesians 6:10-18) in order to believe the truth instead of lies. 

Today, let’s look at one of the most common lies believed after a suicide.

LIE #1: My loved one’s suicide is my fault.  

TRUTH: Each person bears the responsibility for his or her own choices. We are not responsible for the choices of others.